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Self righteousness
Self righteousness is when a person tries to receive salvation through their own works of righteousness instead
of trusting in Christ to change them into the righteousness of Him.
Nothing you do apart from the power of Christ can save you because it is only through Christ that you are
made right with God. You will never become righteous by following the commands in the bible.
Romans 8:3-4 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might
be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
A self righteous person says, “Well, I would go to my friends party and get drunk with my buddies, but the bible
says not to get drunk, so I guess I won’t.” They are doing an act of righteousness through their own work. They’
re not a changed person. They’ve not been made new in Christ. You don’t get up and say, “I’m going to try my
best to be a Christian today.” You can’t try to be something your not.
You don’t obtain righteousness from your own works of obedience in the law. Your righteousness comes to you
through a work of God because of your faith in Jesus. When a person is born again they don’t seek
righteousness through the law, because righteousness comes from the new person within them which is Christ.
You cannot become righteous by following God's law. I will explain it to you in this way based off of what Paul
said in Romans 9:30-32. If you pursue the law of righteousness, you do not attain to the law of righteousness.
Why? Because you do not seek it by faith, but as it were, by works of the law. In other words, don’t look to the
law for righteousness, but put your faith in Christ who will change you into the righteous that is in Him. It is your
trust in Jesus that changes you into true righteousness through Him. You can’t trust in your obedience to the
law for salvation.
Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ
died in vain.”
You must understand that salvation is given to you as a free gift of God’s grace. You cannot earn salvation
through your own works because if salvation was by works than how is it a free gift from God? Paul said in
Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of
works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Working for salvation would take away from God’
s grace and Christ would serve no purpose for us.
Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen
from grace.” (KJV)
If you are working your way to heaven than you’re never going to get there. Jesus came to end the law for
righteousness so that people would put faith in Him and not in their works. It is ones faith in Christ that makes
them righteous.
Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
“So if we are righteous because of Jesus then we don’t have to obey the law?” That’s not what Paul is saying.
People read this verse as if Jesus came to do away with the law and we can live however we want to and still go
to heaven. That is not even close to what Paul is talking about. Read the verse people! Christ came to do away
with the law for righteousness. Paul is saying that righteousness is through the working power of Jesus within
us and not through our own works of the law.
Romans 10:2-3 “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For
they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted to the righteousness of God.”
If your righteousness is because of who you are trying to be and not because of who you are than the power of
God is not working in you because you have not been saved. A chicken can try to fly and it may even seem like
it’s doing a good job at it, but unless it’s recreated into the likeness of a duck then it will never naturally fly. Just
as a lost person can try to be righteous and may even seem like they’re doing a good job at it, but unless they
are recreated into the likeness of God then they will never be naturally righteous. Their works are in vain
because they are practiced by self righteousness and not by a working power of God within them. You must
perform works of righteousness through the new person you have become in Christ and not though your own
self righteousness.
Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
Having been born again, is your righteousness made by works of the flesh? Is your desire for perfection made
by your own motivation? If the righteousness or the desire for perfection is of your own works of the flesh and
not the power of God within you, through conversion, than you can have no assurance that the Spirit of God
lives inside you.
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it
until the day of Jesus Christ.” (KJV)
If you have been born again, it is God Who began the good work in your life through conversion and it is God
Who will perform it through the righteousness of Christ within you.
If you have been living in self righteousness than you must repent and trust in Christ to change you into the
righteousness of Him.
of trusting in Christ to change them into the righteousness of Him.
Nothing you do apart from the power of Christ can save you because it is only through Christ that you are
made right with God. You will never become righteous by following the commands in the bible.
Romans 8:3-4 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might
be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
A self righteous person says, “Well, I would go to my friends party and get drunk with my buddies, but the bible
says not to get drunk, so I guess I won’t.” They are doing an act of righteousness through their own work. They’
re not a changed person. They’ve not been made new in Christ. You don’t get up and say, “I’m going to try my
best to be a Christian today.” You can’t try to be something your not.
You don’t obtain righteousness from your own works of obedience in the law. Your righteousness comes to you
through a work of God because of your faith in Jesus. When a person is born again they don’t seek
righteousness through the law, because righteousness comes from the new person within them which is Christ.
You cannot become righteous by following God's law. I will explain it to you in this way based off of what Paul
said in Romans 9:30-32. If you pursue the law of righteousness, you do not attain to the law of righteousness.
Why? Because you do not seek it by faith, but as it were, by works of the law. In other words, don’t look to the
law for righteousness, but put your faith in Christ who will change you into the righteous that is in Him. It is your
trust in Jesus that changes you into true righteousness through Him. You can’t trust in your obedience to the
law for salvation.
Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ
died in vain.”
You must understand that salvation is given to you as a free gift of God’s grace. You cannot earn salvation
through your own works because if salvation was by works than how is it a free gift from God? Paul said in
Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of
works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.” Working for salvation would take away from God’
s grace and Christ would serve no purpose for us.
Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen
from grace.” (KJV)
If you are working your way to heaven than you’re never going to get there. Jesus came to end the law for
righteousness so that people would put faith in Him and not in their works. It is ones faith in Christ that makes
them righteous.
Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
“So if we are righteous because of Jesus then we don’t have to obey the law?” That’s not what Paul is saying.
People read this verse as if Jesus came to do away with the law and we can live however we want to and still go
to heaven. That is not even close to what Paul is talking about. Read the verse people! Christ came to do away
with the law for righteousness. Paul is saying that righteousness is through the working power of Jesus within
us and not through our own works of the law.
Romans 10:2-3 “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For
they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted to the righteousness of God.”
If your righteousness is because of who you are trying to be and not because of who you are than the power of
God is not working in you because you have not been saved. A chicken can try to fly and it may even seem like
it’s doing a good job at it, but unless it’s recreated into the likeness of a duck then it will never naturally fly. Just
as a lost person can try to be righteous and may even seem like they’re doing a good job at it, but unless they
are recreated into the likeness of God then they will never be naturally righteous. Their works are in vain
because they are practiced by self righteousness and not by a working power of God within them. You must
perform works of righteousness through the new person you have become in Christ and not though your own
self righteousness.
Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
Having been born again, is your righteousness made by works of the flesh? Is your desire for perfection made
by your own motivation? If the righteousness or the desire for perfection is of your own works of the flesh and
not the power of God within you, through conversion, than you can have no assurance that the Spirit of God
lives inside you.
Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it
until the day of Jesus Christ.” (KJV)
If you have been born again, it is God Who began the good work in your life through conversion and it is God
Who will perform it through the righteousness of Christ within you.
If you have been living in self righteousness than you must repent and trust in Christ to change you into the
righteousness of Him.
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